Renault Laguna Coupe GT 3.0D V6 - Comfort

Summary

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If the prime factor for any Coupe is to look good, the second most important point is that it needs to be comfortable. The GT spec Laguna Coupe comes with full leather interior as standard, and the test car also included electrically adjustable seats. You also get heated seats, although it took me a while to find the controls.

When I first got into the car the heated seat was switched on and no amount of scanning the centre console or dash revealed a switch to turn it off. I eventually noticed the switch the next time I climbed into the car - it's actually on the seat base, near the adjustment buttons. Not a bad position - once you know it's there of course.

Finding the heated seat control isn't easy at first, but once you know it's there, it's not a problem

If you do a lot of motorway miles, you'll be glad of the cruise control and speed limiter features, especially in these times of over zealous 'safety' cameras. The switches for cruise control and the speed limiter are on the centre console next to the parking brake. The limits can then be set using buttons built into the steering wheel - which, incidentally is one of the best I've ever held.

The cruise control and speed limiter switch is located to the left of the parking brake

On the subject of the steering wheel; Renault has made sure that the amount of turning is kept to a minimum thanks to the implementation of four-wheel steering. The 4Control system comes as standard on the GT spec Laguna Coupes, and brings with it a combination of low speed manoeuvrability and high speed stability. The basic premise is that at lower speeds the rear wheels turn the opposite direction to the front wheels, allowing the car to pivot and reduce the turning circle. At higher speeds though, the rear wheels turn in the same direction as the front wheels, aiding stability through the bends. Four-wheel steering has been around for a while, but it's still good to see it implemented, especially on a relatively long car.
As well as seat heating, the Laguna Coupe also gets dual zone climate control, which allows the driver and passenger to set different temperatures. This is nothing new, but it's one of those incredibly useful features, especially if your partner gets cold really easily and you get hot too quickly - as is the case with myself and my wife. The controls are mounted in the centre dash, with simple dual temperature displays, and an up/down switch to make adjustments.

Continuing to make the driver's life easier are automatic Xenon headlights, automatic windscreen wipers and an auto-dimming rear view mirror. Pretty much everything you'd expect from an executive coupe in fact, but no less welcome. The auto-dimming rear view mirror is one option box that I always make sure I tick when speccing up a new car.